By John Corrado
Ancestors is the directorial debut of Irish filmmaker David Turpin, who previously co-wrote the Gothic horror movie The Lodgers. This is also, in its own way, sort of a ghost story, with Turpin using the AIDS epidemic as the backdrop for a film about legacy.
Turpin’s film is set in London in 1988, where Irishman Beau (Éanna Hardwicke) has taken refuge as a gay man, living with his best friend Shell (Jessica Reynolds), an ally. Cruising in the park at night, he meets Tiny (Jack Wolfe), and a deep friendship forms between them. When Tiny disappears, Beau searches endlessly for him.
The film unfolds through a dual narrative, with pre- and post-disappearance timelines that blend together. Turpin also weaves in some magical realist touches, including visions of Gloria (Christina Hendricks), a deceased movie star turned gay icon.
Guided by Hardwicke’s sensitive portrayal of Beau, Ancestors becomes a haunting film about memory, that is primarily about who holds the memories of those who were lost. This carries through in Patrick Jordan’s cinematography, framed within a square aspect ratio that has the faded, nostalgic look of an old polaroid photo.
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